family

10 April 2011

Last Sunday was Mother's Day in the UK. My first mother's day, I felt so blessed. We went for a lovely breakfast and as it was a sunny day, all I wanted to do was to have a walk in the park with hubby and our baby. Spring has come early in the UK and I am loving every moment.

I am so glad that we took the camera and tripod along. Hubby set the timer and then had to run like the wind to get into the shot on time while we try to look 'normal'. It was quite funny and a lot of fun.

Of course I couldn't resist to take lots of photos of my little petal amongst the spring florals.

Isla slept through everything but, I don't mind :)

Hope all the mummy's (to my American readers, yes that's how we spell mom in the UK and South Africa) have had a lovely day. I find myself copying my mum in many things that I do or say with my baby. It makes me realize how important is the example that we set to our children, even in our parenting. Hope I can be as good a mum to my daughter (and one day influence her parenting) as my mum was and still is to me. I love you Mum and thank you for everything.

My parents still live in South Africa and I miss them dearly but they have continued to support and offer guidance to me via Skype. It has been a way for me to show them Isla even if she always seems to be asleep.

I also got my first mother's day card and hubby completed it as though it was from Isla. So special.

22 March 2011

Well, just when I thought that I was going to be pregnant forever, my waters broke on Monday, 7th February. I was 38+4 weeks pregnant. At that stage I did not quite get round to packing my hospital bag so, in between a quick text message to hubby and my parents, I had to force myself to stay focussed and get those bags packed.

I was examined at the hospital but as I was not dilated, they were not sure that it was my waters even though I knew that it was. I was sent home and they arranged an ultrasound scan for the next day. I started to have contractions that evening and got very little sleep. The next day I had the scan and was told that there was still 'enough' waters around the baby. The doctors were going to send me home based on this information but I could still feel my waters leaking so, they decided to do another check when they found that it was my waters all along! That was such a relief. I still wasn't really dilating so arrangements were made to induce me the next day. Another sleepless night with irregular contractions followed.

The house was a building site while all this was going on. Here I am standing on the morning of my induction in what will eventually be our kitchen. More on that in another post.

We went and had a quick breakfast at McDonalds and then headed over to the hospital. The first few hours was pretty uneventful but my contractions quickly became more painful.

I had a midwife who was very proud to announce that she was 'old-school' and this seemed to mean that she did not believe in pain relief or showing any sympathy or caring towards her patient. She was a retired midwife who only worked when the hospital was short staffed. Hubby asked her several times to give me something for the pain but she was not willing to do so.

It was only late that evening when they staff changed shifts that the anaethesist was called that I requested an epidural. This only worked for a few hours and then started to wear out on the side of my body. My contractions became stronger and more regular but, I could not seem to get past 3 cms dilated. The baby was closely monitored due to her heart defect but she did not show any signs of distress for which I was grateful. The decision was eventually made to give me a csection as it had been over 48 hours since my waters broke and I was not making any further progress. To be honest, I was so relieved to know that this ordeal would end soon.

Isla's first little cough and cry was the most beautiful sound we have ever heard. Daddy got to hold her first and he looked so proud.

There was a Registrar and a Pediatrician present at the birth and Isla was quickly taken to Special Care for close monitoring and further investigations due to her heart defect. She stayed in hospital for a week before we could finally take her home.

Isla has been doing surprisingly well. She will definitely require surgery as the hole in her heart is big. We have been told that she is at risk of heart failure, but so far she has not shown any signs of this. We are taking one day at a time and enjoying being a mummy and a daddy to this gorgeous little angel. I can't believe that she will be six weeks old this week.

03 March 2011

Our beautiful baby girl, Isla Niamh Rose was born on the 10th February. Her names are pronounced Eye-la, Neve.

Isla is a Scottish name which means 'Island' which felt appropriate after our holiday to Hawaii and the significance it had for us as a couple after hubby's recovery from cancer.

Niamh is an Irish name which means 'daughter of the sea'. It seemed fitting with the first name but also because we wanted an Irish name as hubby's mum was Irish.

Rose is one of my favourite flowers and a pretty English name.

The photos were taken when Isla was 8 days old. Her uncle is a professional photographer and took some beautiful photos when Isla came home from hospital. Sean's work can be seen at www.gertlushphotography.co.uk

The story about her birth will follow once I can locate the cable to upload the photos to my computer. I also have plenty to share about the house renovations and the progress made so far.

22 January 2011

Hello all and thank you so much for your patience with all my long absences. The last few weeks have had many joys and challenges for us. I have less than four weeks left until the baby is due and I have found this pregnancy quite difficult but would not change it for anything. It has been absolutely amazing to get to know our little girl even though she hasn't been born yet. She has shown herself to be strong and a little fighter in the way that she kicks, especially when I rest anything on my bump like my hands or the remote control.

I've had regular check-ups, scans and have been closely monitored. It was just before Christmas that the midwife visited and when she listened to the baby's heart beat, she felt it was a bit irregular and skipping beats. We were sent to the hospital for monitoring just as the snow started to fall. From the hospital ward we watched the snow coming down thick and fast while we wondered what was going on. It was in fact only the start of several hospital visits to monitor her heart rate and movement until we could attend an appointment at St. Thomas Hospital in London for an echo cardiogram (ECG) which is like an ultrasound scan but focussed on the heart.

Hubby went with me on Tuesday as we got the train into London for the ECG. The scan was started by a nurse but she said that she was having difficulties in getting good pictures as my pregnancy was quite advanced and baby had very little room in there. She eventually called the Consultant. The Consultant took over and it took quite some time. Then he asked me to move to another type of scan machine in a different room and he continued to look at baby's heart. It was over an hour before they finished and asked us to wait in a little room with four chairs and a box of tissues. Before they came in, I turned to Hubby and said, "she's got a hole in her heart." I just knew something was wrong.

The Consultant came in and made a drawing to explain how the heart works. He then went on to explain that they believe our baby has Tetralogy of Fallot which usually has four malfunctions but, baby only had two of those. She had a hole in her heart between the two lower heart chambers (ventricles) and that the aorta that is suppose to be growing from the right hand side, was growing from the middle of the lower ventricles and overlapping this hole. The explanations were all clear but very technical. It was so hard to absorb what was being said. He then stated that our baby will need open-heart surgery to repair this but that they could not say when this would be. As there are still a lot of uncertainty, we will be transferred from our local hospital to St. Thomas once baby has been born so that she could have further tests and scans.

We got back on the train and felt like we were in a daze. It all came so unexpectedly and as a complete shock. Over the last few days we've had time for the news to sink in. We have cried, we've been scared and we have been heart-broken at the thought of what lies ahead. Hubby, knowing what it feels like to have open-heart surgery and me, knowing what it's like to care for someone who's had this major operation although he was an adult, not a baby like our daughter will be.

Yesterday, I've finally found peace about it all. I know it's not going to be easy but I also know that we've been through difficult times before and that we came through stronger. I also believe that we have a God who can work miracles, that he is our baby's Maker and Healer and that he holds her little heart in his hand. I also know that whatever the outcome, He will never leave me, nor forsake me. He is faithful and true and I can say, "it is well, with my soul."

11 October 2010

I've started packing for our move in less than 3 weeks. This is the entrance to my current studio. There are boxes everywhere and yet so much to pack, it feels like a never ending job. However, I think we will get there if we do a little bit every day. It is a strange feeling to put my design and sewing books, fabric, sewing machines etc away. I have to keep reminding myself that they will come out in the new house in a lovely big studio (well, once we've dealt with the damp problem in the new house, but that's another story).

So, if it's a little quiet around here, you know I'm sitting behind a wall of boxes and trying to squeeze past with the baby bump :)

10 October 2010

I can hardly stand it. All the girly baby outfits out there and I am having to restrain myself from shopping as we're moving in less than 3 weeks and have enough stuff to pack as it is. However, I couldn't resist this little outfit today:

I just love the princess and unicorn design on everything.

I've bought the set a little big at 3-6 months to make it perfect for Spring next year.

05 October 2010

We knew early on in this pregnancy that we wanted to find out if it was a boy or a girl when the opportunity presented itself. So, we've been eagerly counting off the weeks, days and hours until our 20 week scan which was yesterday. So, we were very disappointed when they first informed us that baby was showing them a lovely backside and keeping the legs crossed and they were therefore not prepared to guess what we were having.

We went home feeling so disappointed but, when I have something in my head, I get a certain amount of determination that drives me. We got straight on the computer and found a place not too far from here that offered private scans (at a price). A few phone calls later and we got an appointment within the hour to have another scan. Of course I was drinking fruit juice, doing star jumps and hip swings that my Hubby has probably never seen before. This baby was going to MOVE as I was one determined mummy.

Well, we were so glad that we went for this second ultra sound. It was so lovely and personal to have the time to look at baby, seeing the little hands and feet and the cutest little button nose that I have ever seen. There was no frustrated hospital staff wanting to take measurements and move onto the next patient. It was our time with our precious baby. Hubby stood next to me and he was beaming with pride and joy.

And, did we get an answer?

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Yes, we are having a baby girl!!! We are so thrilled and delighted. We would've been happy with either, but for some reason we were really hoping that this one would be a girl. As we are moving the end of October, I will have to restrain myself from shopping too much just yet, but I can start to plan and I can't wait to sew a few items for this little one.

Thank you for your patience while I have been so quiet on here. I am really hoping to be a bit more frequent, especially once we have moved.

04 September 2010

I knew it was time to blog again when I got an email from a friend who said she was fed-up with seeing berries every time she looked on my blog for an update. I'm sorry that my posts have been so few and far in between. The days just don't seem to be long enough anymore.

I've had nearly two months off work after the doctor signed me off to rest (pregnancy related) and I have to say it has done me really good.

So yes, I have put my feet up a lot. On the other hand, my poor hubby has had to try and keep up with my eating habits which seem to change on a daily basis. The list of food that I can't stomach is getting rather long. I think he is most disappointed that I can't eat his bolognese anymore and don't even mention spicy food to me! But, he is trying very hard.

We are also in the process of buying a house so, I have the pleasure of dealing with estate agents, builders, solicitors etc. The house is a big Victoria house, but it is a fixer-upper. We are really excited at the prospect of putting our own stamp on the place and, I will have a lovely big studio *big grin*.

In my last post, I set myself some deadlines to finish my textile designs and although I've totally missed the deadlines, it has really spurred me on and I have been making really good progress. Although I can't show you what I've done so far, I can tell you where my inspiration is coming from.

If you've read my blog for a while, you may recall our trip to Keukenhof in Holland. So, I've decided to use that as my inspiration :) It is kinda strange to be so focussed on Spring when everything around me is turning towards Autumn (Fall) but, I am loving the whole process.

06 August 2010

Our little miracle. We've had a 12 week scan yesterday and I am relieved to say that all seems well with our baby. Of course, they had trouble to get the baby to move into the right position for all the necessary measurements. So, I was sent away to have something sugary, to walk around and do some star-jumps. Half an hour later, that seemed to do the trick and we had ourselves a little baby with hiccups. It was so cute. So, without further ado, here he/she is:

I couldn't resist adding a few daisies to the picture. Hubby was so proud, he took all the photos with him to work to go and show everyone. It is really an amazing experience to see baby moving, a little hand waving, having hiccups, and to see and hear that little heart beat.

Thank you to all who are excited with us, your support means so much to us :)

02 August 2010

This was such a fun little project that I'm tempted to make another one in different colour. I only did a little bit every day but, I think you could easily make one in a morning.

The pattern is from Sandy Henderson's book, Sewing Bits and Pieces. I love this book , it is full of small and bigger sewing projects, a lot of it is also to spruce up something like a table cloth, an old T-shirt or cardigan, but there are also bigger projects like a quilt or a skirt.

At first I was a bit concerned that my pincushion looked a bit Christmassy with the red and green colours and the dahlia looked more like a poinsettia but, with the button covered in some fun Kaffe Fassett fabric, I think it is has come out well.

I am so keen to start baby sewing but, as we don't know if it is a boy or girl yet, I have to remind myself to wait. I will have my first scan on Thursday, 5th August, then I should be 12 weeks. I have to say that so far, I have not found this first trimester too easy. They never tell you about the difficult bits except for a bit of morning sickness. Pregnancy is definitely not for sissies. I have had two early scans so far and baby seemed fine with a strong heart beat on each occasion. I have been signed off work for a bit to rest and I am definitely doing that. Hubby has been very supportive and caring and it has been so nice to stay in for a whole weekend rather than to rush off somewhere.